(A)

Tens of thousands of theatre tickets will be given away to young people next year as part of a government campaign to inspire a lifelong love for theatre.
The plan to offer free seats to people aged between 18 to 26-funded with ￡2.5 million of taxpayers’ money-was announced yesterday by Andy Burnham, the Culture Secretary. It received a cautious welcome from some in the arts world, who expressed concern that the tickets may not reach the most underprivileged.
The plan comes as West End theatres are enjoying record audiences, thanks largely to musicals teaming up with television talent shows. Attendances reached 13.6 million in 2007, up 10 percent on 2006, itself a record year. Total sales were up 18 percent on 2006 to almost ￡470 million.
One theatre source criticized the Government’s priorities in funding free tickets when pensioners were struggling to buy food and fuel, saying : "I don’ t know why the Government’ s wasting money on this. The Yong Vic, as The Times reported today, offers excellent performances at cheap prices."
There was praise for the Government’s plan from Dominic Cooke of the Royal Court Theatre, who said: "I support any move to get young people into theatre, and especially one that aims to do it all over England, not just in London."
Ninety-five publicly funded theatres could apply for funding under the two-year plan. In return, they will offer free tickets on at least one day each week to 18 to 26-year-olds, first-come, firs-served. It is likely to be on Mondays, traditionally a quiet night for the theatre.
Mr. Burnham said: "A young person attending the theatre can find it an exciting experience, and be inspired to explore a new world. But sometimes people miss out on it because they fear it’s ’not for them’. It’s time to change this perception."
Jeremy Hunt, the Shadow Culture Secretary, said: "The real issue is not getting enthusiastic children into the theatre, but improving arts education so that more young people want to go in the first place. For too many children theatres are a no-go area. /

According to the passage, the issue to offer free tickets to young people seems（）.

A:controversial B:inspiring C:exciting D:unreasonable

Long bus rides are like television shows .They have a beginning ,a Middle and an end –with commercials thrown in every three or four minutes .The commercials are unavoidable .They happen whether you want them or not .Every couple of minutes a billboard glides by outside the bus window . “buy super clean toothpaste”. “Drink Good’n Wet Root Beer .””Fill up with Pacific Gas .”Only if you sleep ,which site equal to turning the television set off ,are you spared the unending cry of “You Need It ! Buy It Now !” The beginning of the ride is comfortable and somewhat exciting ,Even if you’ve traveled that way before .usually some things have changed-new houses ,new buildings ,sometimes even a new road .The bus driver has a style of driving and it’s fun to try to figure it out the first hour or so . If the driver is particularly reckless or daring ,the ride can be an thrilling as a suspense story .Will the driver pass the truck in time Will the driver move into the right or the left –hand lane After a while,of course,the excitement dies down .sleeping for a while helps pass the middle hours of the ride .Food always makes bus rides more interesting .But you’ve got to be careful of what kind of foodyou eat .Too much salty food can make you very thirsty between stops. The end of the ride is somewhat like the beginning .You know it will soon be over and there’s a kind of expectation and excitement in that .The seat ,of course ,has become harder as the hours have passed.By now you’ve sat with you legs crossed ,with your hands crossed behind your head .the end comes just at the right time . There are just no more ways to sit. The writer thinks that the end of the ride is somewhat like the beginning because both are ( )

A:exciting B:comfortable C:tiring D:boring

I can't help (to think) it (would be) fun (to play) such (an exciting) game with them.

A:to think B:would be C:to play D:an exciting

Long bus rides are like television shows. They have a beginning, a middle, and an end--with commercials thrown in every three or four minutes. The commercials are unavoidable. They happen whether you want them or not. Every couple of minutes a billboard glides by outside the bus window. "Buy Super Clean Toothpaste. "" Drink Root Beer." "Fill up with Pacific Gas." Only if you sleep, which is equal to turning the television set off, are you spared the unending cry of "You Need It! Buy It Now !"
The beginning of the ride is comfortable and somewhat exciting, even if you’ ve traveled that way before. Usually some things have changed--new houses, new buildings, sometimes even a new road. (76) The bus driver has a style of driving and it’ s fun to try to figure it out the first hour or so. If the driver is particularly reckless or daring, the ride can be as thrilling as a suspense story. Will the driver pass the truck in time Will the driver move into the right or the left-hand lane Alter a while, of course, the excitement dies down. Sleeping for a while helps pass the middle hours of the ride. Food always makes bus rides more interesting. But you’ ve got to be careful of what kind of food you eat. Too much salty food can make you very thirsty between stops.
The end of the ride is somewhat like the beginning. You know it will soon be over and there’ s a kind of expectation and excitement in that. The seat, of course, has become harder as the hours have passed. (77)By now you’ ve sat with your legs crossed, with your hands in your lap, with your hands on the armrests—even with your hands crossed behind your head. The end comes just at the right time. There are just no more ways to sit.
The writer thinks that the end of the ride is somewhat like the beginning because both are

A:exciting B:comfortable C:tiring D:boring

The Great Newspaper War
Up until about 100 years ago, newspapers in the United States appealed only to the most serious readers. They used no illustrations and the articles were (51) politics or business.
Two men (52) that –Joseph Pulitzer of the New York World and William Randolph Hearst of the New York Morning Journal. Pulitzer (53) the New York World in 1883. he changed it form a traditional newspaper into a very (54) one overnight(一夜之间). He (55) lots of illustrations and cartoons. And he told his reporters to write articles on (56) crime or scandal they could find. And they did. One of them even pretended she was crazy and then she was (57) to a mental hospital. She them wrote a series of articles about the poor (58) of patients in those hospitals.
In 1895, Hearst (59) to New York from California. He wanted the New York Morning Journal to be more sensational(轰动的) and more exciting (60) the New York World. He also wanted it to be cheaper, so he (61) the price by a penny. Hearst attracted attention because his headlines were bigger than (62) . He often said, "Big print makes big news."
Pulitzer and Hearst did anything they (63) to sell newspapers. For example, Hearst sent Frederic Remington, the famous illustrator(插图画家), to (64) pictures of the Spanish-American War. When he got there, he told Hearst that no fighting was (65) . Hearst answered, "You furnish (提供) the pictures. I’ll furnish the war./

54（）

A:boring B:practical C:exciting D:natural

{{B}}第二篇{{/B}}

The writer thinks that the end of the ride is somewhat like the beginning because both are ______.

A:exciting B:comfortable C:tiring D:boring

The Great Newspaper War Up until about 100 years ago, newspapers in the United States appealed only to the most serious readers. They used no illustrations and the articles were__________(51)politics or business. Two men_________(52) that –Joseph Pulitzer of the New York World and William Randolph Hearst of the New York Morning Journal. Pulitzer_________(53) the New York World in 1883. he changed it form a traditional newspaper into a very_________(54) one overnight(一夜之间). He__________(55) lots of illustrations and cartoons. And he told his reporters to write articles on__________(56) crime or scandal they could find. And they did. One of them even pretended she was crazy and then she was__________(57) to a mental hospital. She them wrote a series of articles about the poor_________(58)of patients in those hospitals. In 1895, Hearst___________(59) to New York from California. He wanted the New York Morning Journal to be more sensational(轰动的) and more exciting_____________(60) the New York World. He also wanted it to be cheaper, so he_______________(61) the price by a penny. Hearst attracted attention because his headlines were bigger than_________(62). He often said, “Big print makes big news.” Pulitzer and Hearst did anything they_____________(63) to sell newspapers. For example, Hearst sent Frederic Remington, the famous illustrator(插图画家), to_____________(64) pictures of the Spanish-American War. When he got there, he told Hearst that no fighting was___________(65). Hearst answered, “You furnish (提供) the pictures. I’ll furnish the war.”

A:boring B:practical C:exciting D:natural

People like different kinds of vacations. Some go outside. Others like to stay at a hotel in an exciting city. They go shopping all day and go dancing all night. Or maybe they go sightseeing to places such as Disneyland, the Tai Mahan or the Louver.
Some people are bored with sightseeing trips. They don’t want to be "tourists". They want to have an adventure, to learn something and maybe help people too. How can they do this Some travel companies and environmental groups are planning special adventures. Sometimes these trips are difficult and full of hardships, but they’re a lot of fun. One organization, Earth Watch, sends small groups of volunteers to different parts of the world. Some volunteers spend two weeks and study the environment. Others work with animals. Others learn about people of the past.
Would you like an adventure in the Far North A team of volunteers is leaving from Mormons, Russia. The leader of this trip is a professor from Alaska. He’s worried about chemicals from factories. He and the volunteers will study this pollution in the environment. If you like exercise and cold weather, this is a good trip for you. Volunteers need ski sixteen kilometers every day.
Do you enjoy ocean animals You can spend two to four weeks in Hawaii. There, you can teach language to dolphins. Dolphins can follow orders such as "Bring me the large ball." They also understand opposites. How much more can they understand It will be exciting to learn about these intelligent animals. Another study trip goes to Washington State and follows orcas. We call them "Killer Whale", but they’re really dolphins-- the largest kind of dolphin. This beautiful animal travels together in family groups. They move through the ocean with their mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers. Ocean pollution is chasing their lives. Earth Watch is studying how this happens.
Are you interested in history Then Greece is the place for your adventure. Thirty-five hundred years ago a volcano exploded there, on Santorum. This explosion was more terrible than Karate or Mount Saint Helens. But today we know a lot about the way of life of the people from that time. There are houses, kitchens, and paintings as interesting as those in Pompeii. Today teams of volunteers are learning more about people from the past.
Do you want a very different vacation Do you want to travel far, work hard and learn a lot Then an Earth Watch vacation is for you.
The word "intelligent" in paragraph 4 means______.

A:exciting B:beautiful C:large D:clever